1 Kings 7:23-26

23 He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits^[a] to measure around it.

24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.

26 It was a handbreadth^[b] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.^[c]

1 Kings 7:23-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 7

This chapter gives an account of some buildings of Solomon for himself, 1Ki 7:1-12; and of other things for the use of the temple; of two pillars of brass, 1Ki 7:13-22; of the molten sea, 1Ki 7:23-26; and of ten bases, and ten layers on them, 1Ki 7:27-39; with other utensils and ornaments, 1Ki 7:40-51.

Cross References

• 1. ver 47; 2 Kings 25:13; 1 Chronicles 18:8; 2 Chronicles 4:18; Jeremiah 52:17; Revelation 4:6
• 2. Jeremiah 31:39; Zechariah 2:1
• 3. 2 Chronicles 4:4-5; Jeremiah 52:20

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
• [b]. That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
• [c]. That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.